Choo choo! All aboard the Complain Train!
- Thread starter Mister Mumbler
- Start date
You would absolutely hate Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. It is a section of downtown that has been heavily commercialized and gentrified. It is kind of like they took the surface level of a few square blocks of city, streets and all, and made it into a high-rent shopping mall. You can drive on those streets... but you are basically seen as a complete dick if you do (unless you are showing off a super expensive and/or classic car and don't mind driving at 2 -3 mph while bystanders crowd around.) There are conventional traffic signals and signs and stuff... and the pedestrian traffic is so heavy no one pays any attention. The general rule seems to be cars can go only if there is a gap in pedestrian traffic. And with thousands or more pedestrians wandering around at any given time... it could take an hour or so to get across it.
That's not unusual around here, or really just the old continent in general. City centers, especially commercial sections, can be accessed by car, but its generally not a fun experience for drivers. Lots of pedestrian traffic of course. But also because the average European city center tends to be quite dense, what with predating cars by at least centuries if not millenia, and just not designed around modern car traffic like US cities are. Also, a lot of cities have been making concerted efforts to reduce if not ban cars from city centers unless you're a resident, making deliveries, or requested a permit beforehand.
I can never sleep before a final exam. I make sure to go to bed on time so I'll be nice and fresh for the next day and without fail I wake up 3-4 hours early and can't fall back to sleep.
It's like, come on we had a plan here!
It's like, come on we had a plan here!
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Sounds like downtown Dallas, except there's been no concessions made between pedestrian and vehicular traffic; every man for himself. I rarely go there, but every time I do, it's a nightmare. The only reason scores of pedestrians aren't killed every day being run down by a car is because the vehicular traffic is so thick, it's hard to get up to lethal speeds. I have no idea why anyone in their right mind would live or work there save if their apartment was in walking distance of their job, and even then, the headache of dealing with constant congestion everywhere wouldn't be worth it. I've never been, nor do I want to, but I can only imagine what that area is like during a Mavericks' game at American Airlines Center; I've been to several concerts there, and rue the idea of those crowds being droves of homers.
If jaywalking was a felony, North Texas would effectively be a penitentiary.
I'm always amused by the action films that have car chases in old, European cities; the streets are always depicted as being about the width of the car and very serpentine, yet the chase goes off without but the most convenient of hitches.
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Well, there are major boulevards. That'd be much easier to car chase on. But also mostly look like any boulevard in any other Euro city. The historic city center tho? Such iconic. Much landmarks. Itty bitty roads.
I visited Europe and totally noticed that. Many of the roads really were not built for car traffic and the ones that do support it were widened in the 19th or 20th century, though Paris presumably widnened a lot of their streets to make it harder for people to build barricades across them every time a revolution/revolt breaks out.
And not to pick on Italy, man, Italy has some of the most "I don't give a shit" parking jobs and drivers I think I've ever seen anywhere.
That, and WWII also happened, which helped create ... eh ... more room for urban planning. No really. For example, big swatches of German cities, like Berlin, were basically flattened by bombing, so when time came to rebuild they decided to redesign a lot of stuff to be more modern (read more like US cities i.e. car-friendlier). And a fair few countries once had despots who felt the capital needed a makeover.
As someone who has driven a car, in countries all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, the idea that Italians are the most "I don't give a shit" in traffic is honestly adorable.
My favorite's been Albania, because it's always Albania. Beautiful country, lovely people, fun to travel through, but I saw so much weird crazy shit there. Anyway, in this case, it was weddings. And in the Balkans, that involves dudes in cars blocking off a crossing so a wedding procession can very slowly yet loudly pass through, while the dudes in the car and some in the procession fire their AK's (and other assorted guns) into the air. Wasn't a one time thing either. Shit is normal. No bs, we ran across more than a dozen of those processions while we were there.
Welp, just got back to Texas (DFW) from my annual family picnic back home in Ohio. First time I’ve been able to make it in 12 years. Everything went great: saw a lot of relatives I hadn’t seen in years, great food, beautiful weather, and got to play in our traditional game of croquet which as is typical fell apart into a mess of accusations of cheating, actual cheating, a constant state of confusion as to whose turn it is, and tons of laughing just like I remember. Good times.
Then there was our return flight. FUCKING NIGHTMARE.
We were supposed to fly out last night, but saw a half-hour delay moments before we were to leave my sister’s house. We waited the requisite additional time, and left. Halfway to the airport, the delay was extended by an hour. I told my dad just to drop us off anyway; we’d get a drink at the bar while we waited. At the bar, our flight was delayed ANOTHER hour. And just as I was prepared to suck that up too, flight delayed again… to the following morning. Fuck me. Called dad, and he came and got us.
Today we woke up at 6am vigilantly watching the airline’s app for any additional hiccups, and fortunately nothing. But while we waited at the gate, the airline had some sort of technical issue as everyone’s phones around us (including mine) got a notification that the flight had already left 20 minutes prior. There was near pandemonium as everyone delayed from the previous night was demanding answers. The poor, lone girl at the counter kept trying to maintain calm and assure everyone that the flight had NOT left, and was indeed on schedule. Adding to the confusion, there was another flight going to DFW leaving a half hour after ours, so many people waiting around were at the wrong gate! She came over the intercom no fewer than 10 times repeating herself that the flight had not left, was on time, and to check you boarding pass to make sure you were at the correct gate for your flight, and because a person is smart, but people are stupid, several still didn’t get it and kept bugging her with questions.
Finally boarded on time, and there was a delay as luggage wasn't completely loaded; we sat at the gate for 20 minutes without moving an inch. Finally took off, and the plane was making a very loud and mysterious sound. Whenever something out the ordinary happens on a plane, I look to the flight attendants to see if there’s any concern in their faces or demeanor; this time, I saw one of them staring in the direction of the mysterious sound. Now, I’m not a nervous flyer, but I felt for the better part of fifteen minutes what nervous flyers must feel: intense anxiety. Fortunately, once we hit altitude, the sound went away, and I relaxed a bit.
THEN, during the decent, we felt the plane bank right three times in a row; apparently we were circling, something we’ve never had to do in my numerous return flights to DFW. I kept that concern to myself, but another passenger made the same comment out loud as another confirmed how odd it was. But we eventually landed safely where I promptly kissed the ground and have vowed to stay away from airports and airplanes for a while.
Then there was our return flight. FUCKING NIGHTMARE.
We were supposed to fly out last night, but saw a half-hour delay moments before we were to leave my sister’s house. We waited the requisite additional time, and left. Halfway to the airport, the delay was extended by an hour. I told my dad just to drop us off anyway; we’d get a drink at the bar while we waited. At the bar, our flight was delayed ANOTHER hour. And just as I was prepared to suck that up too, flight delayed again… to the following morning. Fuck me. Called dad, and he came and got us.
Today we woke up at 6am vigilantly watching the airline’s app for any additional hiccups, and fortunately nothing. But while we waited at the gate, the airline had some sort of technical issue as everyone’s phones around us (including mine) got a notification that the flight had already left 20 minutes prior. There was near pandemonium as everyone delayed from the previous night was demanding answers. The poor, lone girl at the counter kept trying to maintain calm and assure everyone that the flight had NOT left, and was indeed on schedule. Adding to the confusion, there was another flight going to DFW leaving a half hour after ours, so many people waiting around were at the wrong gate! She came over the intercom no fewer than 10 times repeating herself that the flight had not left, was on time, and to check you boarding pass to make sure you were at the correct gate for your flight, and because a person is smart, but people are stupid, several still didn’t get it and kept bugging her with questions.
Finally boarded on time, and there was a delay as luggage wasn't completely loaded; we sat at the gate for 20 minutes without moving an inch. Finally took off, and the plane was making a very loud and mysterious sound. Whenever something out the ordinary happens on a plane, I look to the flight attendants to see if there’s any concern in their faces or demeanor; this time, I saw one of them staring in the direction of the mysterious sound. Now, I’m not a nervous flyer, but I felt for the better part of fifteen minutes what nervous flyers must feel: intense anxiety. Fortunately, once we hit altitude, the sound went away, and I relaxed a bit.
THEN, during the decent, we felt the plane bank right three times in a row; apparently we were circling, something we’ve never had to do in my numerous return flights to DFW. I kept that concern to myself, but another passenger made the same comment out loud as another confirmed how odd it was. But we eventually landed safely where I promptly kissed the ground and have vowed to stay away from airports and airplanes for a while.
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Ouch. That must have been fun. And everything else, but something like that causes all sorts of interesting things to happen.
Oh, and while I wasn't counted amongst them, the woman had to notify the first-class passengers that there would be no meal service, but they could request a voucher for the inconvenience when they got back to Texas. I jested that everything about the flight pre-flight didn't bode well for the actual flight, and the strange noise that quietly concerned a flight attendant made my stomach drop at the idea that I might have been right. My next flight, my carry-on will be a parachute.
I bloody hate, hate, HATE tucking shirts in. Just change the fucking dress code EVERYWHERE to NEVER do this already. It NEVER feels good and if I’m not stoic as a statue the shirt ALWAYS needs to be retucked or adjusted somehow. Fuck those pants that have a grippy band of rubber that’s supposed to help with this too, because it simply fucking doesn’t do shit, and then you have to also deal with bits of rubber flaking off from the shirt coming untucked.
Whoever’s responsible for this rule in our society, there’s a special table in hell for them to sit at where they can spend eternity fidgeting with what they have wrought. While satan laughs and sharts in their face every time they do.
Whoever’s responsible for this rule in our society, there’s a special table in hell for them to sit at where they can spend eternity fidgeting with what they have wrought. While satan laughs and sharts in their face every time they do.
Anyone here live next to someone who has bamboo growing in their yard? Yeah, I do. 
Times are changing. I personally hate any kind of formal/semiformal dress, i.e.: polos, button-ups, slacks, and don't get me started on suits. I could wear jeans and t-shirts year round and for every occasion. At my funeral (assuming it's an open-casket; I do have a few enemies that might make it a messy affair,) I want to be laid to rest wearing my favorite t-shirt. Should bring at least a few inappropriate chuckles to what I hope is a somber occasion.
Is there a particular issue you have with bamboo? Like is it invasive or just the fact that it can grow relatively densely and obstruct vision?
Give it a while, that'll apply to the people living next to you as well.Anyone here live next to someone who has bamboo growing in their yard? Yeah, I do.
Bamboo grows with these horizontal roots that sprout new stems along the way. So simply cutting it won't fix much, you need to dig up the roots and get rid of all of it, or it'll just spread again. 12 years ago when I started living where I do now there was no bamboo in my front and backyard, but it was at the neighbors. Now this shit is fucking everywhere in my yard. I try to cut it out of the ground as deep as I can, and sometimes I pull foot long roots out of the ground, but so long as that shit is still in my neighbor's yard it'll just spread to my yard again. And this shit grows hard. There's a little area between a shed and fench that I can't reach, and the bamboo there is like 15-feet high.
Apparently it can also grow so fast that the Japanese would tie prisoners over it in WW2 and have it grow into them as a form or torture.
We're not much better today, but humans from "simpler times" were a twisted lot. I went to Medieval Times, y'know, the family friendly place where they re-enact medieval duals and games while you eat with your hands? They have a museum that displays medieval torture devices, and let's just say they evoked some imagery that made it hard to stomach my food afterwards. Look up "pear of anguish" and "breast ripper;" yeah, KIDS were reading about and seeing these things before going to see the horsies.